Trading down to bias ply?

dwardo99

What is a good source for bias-ply tires in sizes that approximate the original 7.60x15? Wide whites are nice but not mandatory. We have nice wide whitewall radials on our Hornet but my uncle has trouble steering it at very low speeds despite everything being in good condition. I'm pretty well convinced that the much larger footprint of modern radials makes the steering heavier. We don't drive that car hard and I'm fine with the reduction in roadholding that would occur. If I ever get back to work on my hot-rod Super Wasp I definitely want radials as well as disc brakes but that's another story.

Unknown

Given your experience in working on Hudsons, why don't you guys put power steering on it? After your ingenious power brake install, this should be a piece of cake. Wasn't your uncle a mechanic or somehow in the business? Have you checked the usual sources for vintage tires? I would agree that a tire with a smaller foot print should make the steering somewhat easier. But then again, so would turning the steering wheel while moving. Have you tried increasing the air pressure in your radials?

dwardo99

Thanks for the kind words. Power steering is a stickeir wicket than the brakes. I like the idea of putting a Saginaw box on one, which has been described in a previous thread, and I want to do that on the Wasp, but the Wasp is already apart and the Hornet is our present road car. Of course we've played with the air pressure and of course it's best to keep moving but we store the car at my house and it requires a 9-point turn to get pointed out of the driveway. On this road it's not good to back out unless it's late at night. I know that back in the day many women drove these cars and presumable parked them and they weren't playing for an East German soccer team, so I gotta figure the steering effort was reasonable.

[Deleted User]

What size radials are you currently running on the front?



I'm afraid what you may gain in steering ease, you'll sacrifice running down the road. Bias ply tires make all the evils between my kingpins - 2X worse!



Try a smaller series tire on the front, narrower and lower profile. Our '49 is running P215-15 on the front and it steers fairly easy. Not the case with the P235-15. The tread contact patch is the thing that makes it so hard to steer, regardless of the sidewall material.



Before you spend any serious money, go to the local tire shop and hunt down some fairly good used tires of a smaller size to try out on a couple of rims. Most of the time they'll let you have them for the cost of mounting and balancing them.



Mark

dwardo99

Good idea, Mark. We're running P215s. P205s might be a better choice. So what is it between your kingpins that bias ply makes worse?

Unknown

A nine point turn! Maybe you should just build a turntable or put the car on casters. The suggestion to try a used tire of a smaller width makes sense to me. Let us know how it works out.

50C8DAN

Where are you located? I have a set of bias ply 7.60 x 15 you can have for $60 for the set that are almost new (they have about 10 miles on them)! They are not perfect but are wide whites and you can try them out to see if they give you what you want, and if not you are not out much. I am in Northern MD. and if you are near by you can pick them up

Unknown

`Hudsonator wrote:

What size radials are you currently running on the front?

I'm afraid what you may gain in steering ease, you'll sacrifice running down the road. Bias ply tires make all the evils between my kingpins - 2X worse!

Try a smaller series tire on the front, narrower and lower profile. Our '49 is running P215-15 on the front and it steers fairly easy. Not the case with the P235-15. The tread contact patch is the thing that makes it so hard to steer, regardless of the sidewall material.

Before you spend any serious money, go to the local tire shop and hunt down some fairly good used tires of a smaller size to try out on a couple of rims. Most of the time they'll let you have them for the cost of mounting and balancing them.

Mark

In the late 70's when we were running 4X4's with manual steering a tire dealer suggested we switch to a 6 ply radial, he had them on his Suburban. We tried the 6 ply radial and it made a world of difference, both in the ease of steering and in the lower amount of side roll on the tire.

When I get my Commodore back on the road I plan on trying a set to see how it handles. Since I doubt I can get a wide white in a 6 ply I will have to paint the tire like Uncle Josh, I did that in the 60's with my first Hudson when I was 16. That was when JC Whitney carried a side wall tire paint.

nick s

dwardo99 wrote:

What is a good source for bias-ply tires in sizes that approximate the original 7.60x15? Wide whites are nice but not mandatory. We have nice wide whitewall radials on our Hornet but my uncle has trouble steering it at very low speeds despite everything being in good condition. I'm pretty well convinced that the much larger footprint of modern radials makes the steering heavier. We don't drive that car hard and I'm fine with the reduction in roadholding that would occur. If I ever get back to work on my hot-rod Super Wasp I definitely want radials as well as disc brakes but that's another story.

just mounted up wide white 7.60's before driving nearly 700 miles to and from carlisle last weekend. they look, handle and ride great. i can't speak on the low speed steering as my 54 has PS but I have never had a had a turning issue driving a bias tired hudson. remember the steering was geared for the bias tires and no power assist.